Africa

John Manning, research anaylst for SportBusiness Intelligence examines Rugby World Cup television audiences in the major rugby union markets.

Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Africa has acquired rights for North America’s Major League Soccer in sub-Saharan Africa.

The TV Media Sport agency has secured a package of rights for the Uefa Euro 2016 national team football tournament across a host of African territories.

A new television channel dedicated to African sport is set to commence broadcasting in the continent and Europe in January.

Media group Attassiaa has acquired rights to the Ligue 1 Pro and Coupe de Tunisie club football competitions in Tunisia, according to reports in the country.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship last month signed off its first English-language broadcast deal in sub-Saharan Africa, plugging a large gap in its global footprint.

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has agreed a five-year extension to its rights contract with Sanzar, the umbrella body for the Australian, New Zealand and South African rugby unions.

Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Africa has agreed a rights deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.

The B4 Capital agency has refinanced almost all of its spend for Fédération Tunisienne de Football rights thanks to a three-season deal with Abu Dhabi Media.

Kelly Butler is set to resign as senior vice-president of the Fox Sports Europe and Africa arm of Fox International Channels, the broadcast subsidiary of media company 21st Century Fox.

The Football Kenya Federation has threatened to cancel its advisory deal with MP & Silva, the latest event in the ongoing dispute between the two parties.

SuperSport has renewed its deal for the Football Association of Zambia’s top-tier domestic club competitions until 2020.

Seamus O’Brien, the executive chairman of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, strongly defended the level of the company’s investment in its recent renewal with the Confederation of African Football.

The Fox International Channels (FIC) broadcast subsidiary of media company 21st Century Fox has appointed Frank Rutten as executive vice-president of its operations in Europe and Africa.

Sanzar, which operates the Super Rugby franchise-based rugby union competition in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, has finalised a new rights deal, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

France’s Ligue 1 has earned an increase of 20 to 25 per cent in the value of its media rights in sub-Saharan Africa following deals agreed in recent weeks.